I've always preferred the intense discipline and repetition of stretching, ballet class, and rehearsals over the adrenaline of the final show. Degas was equally fascinated by all this behind-the-scenes work and chose to represent it in over 1,500 paintings, pastels and drawings of dancers.
 |
| My friends at the barre at the rehearsal studio back in the spring |
Not surprisingly, Degas exercised the same discipline in his painting. "Dancers at the Barre" was re-worked over a period of 20 years, with Degas changing positions of legs and feet about eight times on this same canvas.
 |
| Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas' "Dancers at the Barre", early 1880s to c. 1900s at The Phillips Collection |
The resulting painting may be physiologically impossible -- but it is Art. You could say the same about Ballet.
i totally agree, ballet is art in movement!! last year i met a group of dancer ( neoclassical ballet) and i discovered again how much i like it!! i don't know if i can explain myself properly, but i liked it also because dance was ''daily'', not just on the stage: i mean, it was artistic (for me) also the way they walk, sit down at the bar and everything :):)
ReplyDeleteInteresting I neither knew the painting nor the history of it. Looking at the leg positions I cringed, cause it hurts to look at them.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your weekend.
Hardwork makes the end product look so easy.
ReplyDeleteWonderful first pick, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Ballet must be the most difficult art! It was a passion of mine when I was little, the dancers just looked so gracious and delicate!
ReplyDeleteOf course later, I realized they were not delicate at all! Only hard work and discipline give the illusion of effortless gestures and beauty.
nice to get your perspective on enjoying the rehearsals more than the show.
ReplyDeletei wonder if that is in part due to the fact that the show signals an end instead of a beginning.
of all dance forms i think ballet is the one which you have to be born to do..you need the strength to do all that excrutiating looking postures with such elegance!
ReplyDeletewe have this exhibition here in london too but haven't seen it yet. love the pictures.
ReplyDeletefascinating. i used to learn ballet!~
ReplyDeleteHaha, they do look like the painting!
ReplyDeleteIt is a very pretty painting.
Xoxo
I love the photo and the painting the colours are beautiful the orange background is stunning! I will love to have it hanging in one of my rooms! I love expressionism :)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love Dega's paintings.
ReplyDeleteYour photo is so pretty as well. It's so interesting that they are wearing black skirts!
lovely
ReplyDeleteDawanda is actually an african girl name and means unique.
ReplyDeleteBy the way have you read books by Roddy Doyle? I've just read "Rover saves Christmas" by him and it had me literally rolling on the floor laughing. He's funny and imaginative.
Have a great Sunday and a good start into the new week.
Sandy
Such a beautiful painting.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photo and juxtaposition with Degas painting - that pose was actually one I was good at - you've reminded me that there is a Degas exhibition in London I need to see!
ReplyDeletethis really reminded me of Degas
ReplyDeletebeautiful...
http://the-whistleblowers.blogspot.com/
I love degas painting !
ReplyDeleteI love that your shot mirrors the painting. You are totally right both are Art. Xxxx
ReplyDeleteOmg so cool I saw this exhibition at the royal academy! Love this post, sleeping beauty is opening this winter very soon cannot wait to go
ReplyDeleteHey Jenny! Yes tha's one of my paintings I did ages ago in Mexico. Did you get my photos? I don't know if I picked the right ones let me know if you want one in particular! Have a lovely sunday. xx
ReplyDeleteJenny the photo and painting are great
ReplyDeletethere is something special about ballet that people are affascinated
come and say Hi,
The Dolls Factory
Wonderful post and thank you for the thoughts. I had never considered impossibility of the poses before. I guess that ART can document a slightly stretched imagination? Maybe Degas was inflexible and to him the ballet dancers stretching seemed as improbable as his impression of them.
ReplyDeleteI love how Degas portrayed the bodies of dancers. There is something so incredible and awe-striking to me about a ballet dancer in particular stretching and getting into and out of positions. Gorgeous post.
ReplyDeleteDiego
www.howtozipyourfly.com
yes ballet and art go hand in hand... both magic and beautiful...
ReplyDeleteI hope things are going well! I love Degas, though i must say that i'm a really late comer to impressionist painting. I really didn't appreciate or enjoy it for quite some time...but i have always loved these paintings.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you’ll have time to visit my blog :)
Kisses,
Miriam
Fashion Crazy Ball and My Facebook Page
I've always loved Degas, and the Impressionist movement. LOVE it. When we go to the Tate Modern (in London) I always need some time alone, sitting in front of a huge Monet water lilies painting. And as one of those girls who loved ballet (altho, my parents being kind of modern hippies, our dance schools and classes tended to be the bare feet, footless black tights 'pretend you're a butterfly' modern dance).
ReplyDeleteBut my sister's daughter, Becky, is a proper, old fashioned ballet student girl, and my sister took some gorgeous shots in the rehearsal studio a few years ago. I had played around with them to make them paintings, too. I've just been looking and can't find them - and I see you're madly busy with projects (so curious!!) but I'll see if she still has them.
What I especially love, what I've said from the start when I've started blogging - and which, sadly, hasn't turned out the case with a group of bullying bloggers here - not all, but enough to spoil blogging for me for a while - is the forum, the exchange of ideas, the virtual salon that can be created - and which inspires creativity. In fact... I'm gonna lift your photo of your friends, with your knowledge and hopefully, permission.
I nearly forgot why I came here! To thank you for your comment - especially knowing now that you're in the thick of things (apologies for such a long comment) and to say that if you like the 70s style, you might like this pair, in rust:
http://www.therawdenimbar.net/store/product-info.php?Rich_and_Skinny_Trouser_Flare_in_Rust-pid389.html
It seemed a colour that might look gorgeous on you. You've got a great shape - that's what I love, we're all different and we all know our strengths, and hopefully, play to them.
Okay I"ll shut up now! Have a lovely Thursday, unFoolish Aesthete! xox
@Polka Dot: Would love to see your "paintings" of rehearsal studio shots! Also, thanks for the rust trouser link. They look great!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful images.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend.